Engine coupler and pocket therefor



May 12, 1925. 1,537,451

A. J. BAZELEY ET AL v ENGINE COUPLER AND POCKET THEREFOR Filed April 9,1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 glvwemtozs A. J. BAZELEY ET AL ENGINE COUPLER ANDPOCKET THEREFOR May 12, 1925. '1',"s37,451

Filed April 9, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 12, 1925.

' A. J. BAZELEY ET AL ENGINE COUPLER AND. POCKET THBBEFOR Filed April 9.191' 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 gme/wbozs Patented May 12, 1925.

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR J. BAZELEY AND JOHN -\VILIJSON, O-F CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNORS,BY MALLEABLE AND STEEL CASTINGS COM- MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO NATIONALFANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIG, CORPORATION OF OHIO.

ENGINE COUPLER AND POCKET THEREFOR.

Application filed April 9,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ARTHUR J. BAZELEY, a citizen of the United States,and JOHN lViLmsoN', a subject of the King of Great Britain, bothresiding at Cleveland, Guyahoga County, Ohio, have jointly invented newand useful Improvements in Engine Couplers and Pockets Therefor, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a section showing theapplication of our improvements to acoupler pocket; Fig. 2 is a sectionof a modified form of our invention applied to a coupler-shank, Fig. 3is a section of afurther modification thereof; and Fig. 4 is a detail ofthe bushing in the coupler shank.

Our invention relates to engine coupler shanks and pockets therefor, andcomprises means for holding the head of an engine coupler in alignmentwith the horizontal axis of the coupler pocket. We have found that'whenan engine coupler is applied to a pocket of the ordinary type, becauseof the clearance necessary between shank and pocket, the coupler headhas a distinct droop, which increases as the coupler and pocket becomeworn. lVhen certain types of couplers are used, even with pockets havinga coupler support forward of the pocket mouth, the centerof gravityofthe'. coupler is forward of-this support, with the result that thecoupler shank tipsup in the pocket and the coupler head has acorresponding droop. This droop causes a line bearing contact betweenthe top of the shank and the rear of the inner upper surface of thepocket, and also between the depending portion of the head and theextended floor of the pocket. As a result of this droop, the pin, bywhich the coupler is secured in the pocket, and the buffing and pullingfaces of the coupler are tilted out of perpendicular, so that with everyoperation of bufiing and draft the couplers are brought into alignment,and then as the pressure is relieved are permitted to sag down, all ofwhich greatly increases the wear in both coupler and pocket. Ourinvention overcomes this droop without changing the height of the shankor of the pocket. Our invention also consists in the construction andarrange- 1921. Serial No. 460,050.

ment of parts which we shall hereinafter describe and claim.

Referring to the drawings, 2 indicates the coupler shank and 3 thepocket casting. The top and bottom surfaces of the pocket are indicatedby the numerals 4, and 5, and the corresponding surfaces of the shank bythe numbers Sand 7. The pivot pin 8 eX-' tends through the pocketcasting and the shown by the region A the upper boundary of which isshown by a horizontal dotted line a, while the bottom 5 has been cut outto the extent shown by the region B indicated by the space between theshanksurface 7 and the surface 5 at the bottom of the pocket. Thisresults in giving the same clearances that are now employed to allow fornormal variations iii-shank and pocket mouth heights, and in effectmerely trans-.

fers the metal from region B to region A, so that this form of pocketmaybe used with any engine coupler having a shank of normal dimensions.7

The top surface 4 of the pocket is tapered or bevelled downwardly fromthe front of the pocket approximately to the 'rear side of the pivot pinhole 9, and the portion 45 thereof, from the rear of the hole tothe rearof the pocket, is substantially parallel with the horizontal axis of thepocket and engages the upper face 6 of theshank from the pivot pin holeto the rear end of the shank. The bottom surface 5 of the pocket isprovided with a portion 5 which is parallel to the portion 4 and theninclines down to the rear end of the pocket. It will be seen that wehave shown the perpendicular distance between the surfaces 4 and 5 issubstantially equal to the height of the coupler shank, but thatclearance for the insertion of the shank is provided by the bevelledforward part of the surface 4 and by cutting away the floor 5 to theextent shown by the region B. p

When a coupler shank of the standard dimensions is inserted, its bottomface 7 bears on the surface 5 and'its top face 6 has a surface contactwith the surface 4 so that the tendencyofthe coupler to droop is fovercome and the coupler 'is held in horizontal position.

7 I11 Fig. 2 we have shown a modified form of our invention in which themeans for aligning the coupler in thepocket is placed on the shankinstead of in the pocket. Here a region a above the dotted line g isadded on the top of the coupler shank, terminatmg 111 a flat surface 6to the rear of the pivot pin hole, and a region Z) is cut away from thebottom face of the shank, thus creating an upwardly inclined portion 7to the rear'of the flat portion 7 In this form the distance from thefiat surface 6 on the top ofthe shank to the center line of the Icoupler is equal to the distance between center line of the pocket.

the upper surface 4 of the pocket and the In Figs. 3 and 4 we have showna further modificatlon of our invention, inwhich the upward bevel on top6 of the coupler shank begins at, a pointin advance of the pocket, thusgiving an extended bearing against the top surface of the pocket. lViththe bottom surface 7 of the shank the bevel also begins at a pointforward of the pocket, so that the bottom 7 'of the shank does notengage the bottom 5 of the pocket, but the coupler is supported on theextended floor 11 by the depending portion12 of the head. A spe cialhardened steel bushing 13 is employed about the pin hole. The enlargedhead 14 V of this bushinggives an increased bearing area which thusdecreases the wear on the shank. 7 As wear will occur toward the rearend of the bushing, its life may be increased by turning it through 180degrees.

The terms and expressions which we have employed are used as terms ofdescription and not of limitation, and we have no intention, in the useof such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents, of thefeaturesshown and described, or portions zontal each having in oneportion a surface engagement with corresponding portions of the top andbottom, respectively, of the pocket whereby drooping of the coupler headis prevented, and the ,top and bottom of the shank each having inanother portion a face diverging relatively from corresponding faces onthetop'and bottom of the pocket, to facilitate insertion of the shankinto the pocket.

2. In a device ofthe character described,

a coupler pocket, a shank for an engine coupler seated in saidpocket,the roof of the pocket having a horizontal surface to the rear ofthe pivot pin hole and being inclined upwardlytherefrom to the forwardedge of the pocket, the bottom surface of the pocket being inclineddownwardly and rearwardly from a point forward of the pivot pin hole,

the coupler shank having its top and bottom surfaces parallel to thehorizontal axis of the coupler, whereby the shank engages'a forwardportion of the floor 'of the pocket and the rear portion of theroof ofthe pocket,'andis thereby maintained in alignment with the horizontalaxis of the pocket.

3. A pocket for couplers comprising, in a unitary casting, a baseportion, top, bottom and sidewalls extending forwardly from said baseportion and forming a pocket for the reception of a coupler shank, the

top and bottom walls having alignedopem ings for ap-ivot pin, the innerfaces of said top and bottom walls each being formed by inclined andhorizontal surfaces, one of said horizontal surfaces being forward ofthe other horizontal surface, and the vertical distance between saidhorizontal surfaces being substantlally the'same as the vertlcald11nens1on of said coupler shank.

ARTHUR J. BAZELEY] JOHN WILLISON.

